Electrical: Day Running Lights

[Clan]

I agree with you there totaly appauling , near motorway junctions you have people swapping lanes left right and centre at speed pushing into gaps barely longer than the car and then braking . They now swap two lanes in one go ! And seem determined to get in that outer lane for some reason and get stuck there in a slower lane of moving traffic so they decide to do it again swapping every 100 metres into the fastest moving lane . i get to the next junction 3 miles further down quicker than they do .. If you leave a reasonable gap it keeps getting filled by people pushing in so you effectivly go backwards . No police patrols and camera tapes only viewed after the daily accidents , not full time and prosecuting drivers resposible for these practices ..
Motorways are horrible these days .
Regarding bikes yes i see one big bike on my daily travel to and from work who doesnt go over 70 and rides by the safety rules ie follows until the car pulls in and them passes . but thats one out of 100 + other bikes i see on the motorway who are suicidal weaving in and out on the left through 3 lanes of traffic which is moving at 60 - 70 mph . Its ony a matter of time before they get swiped off the road due to this new practice of passing on the left between moving lanes of traffic .

[Steve and his 244]

I think that those comments are a little unfair - yes a lot of bikers can be nutcases/suicidal/whatever you want to call them, but bear in mind that tends to be the people who go out on the bike for pleasure - many bikers such as myself use their bike for commuting and drive it sensibly, although still getting a move on past slow moving cars etc, but only when its safe.

Plus bike drivers are usually very competent - driving a bike involves a lot more skill and reading ahead than driving any car, so most bikers are actually fairly safe doing what they do because they have anticipated it beforehand, although I dont in any way agree with it when its against the law.

[Clan]

I'm not talking about town scooter riders , its the big powerful bikes out on the open road ... Its just what i see on a daily basis driving 250 miles a week every week every month every year ..and these are commuter bikes out on the roads at 7 am and 5 pm not pleasure riders ( those type rip up the local coutryside here every sunday, i can hear them 5 miles away as they are much higher up in open spaces and often go through hedges and kill themselves in the Wye Valley ) . only in recent years has this practice been developing , due to lack of police motorway patrols these days . all it takes is a combination of these lane changers and a bike weaver to clash and one bike rider less in the world ... Bike riders THINK they are safe doing this and they certainly can do the weaving in and out fine , but its down to chances and risks .

[Skunkola]

Originally Posted by bugman

Thanks for your advice - I do mean dim/dip .
Handbook says fuse 12 for air con. (no) , cruise (no) , elec. windows (yes) and dim/dip . Book also states fuse 10 for elec windows .
Will have a go at removing each fuse , then connectors - I reckon even I can sus this one ! Cheers . . . . .

If you haven't done so already, CP (he knows his stuff!) pointed me in the right direction last summer and it's the middle connection on fuse 12. The parking lights still work when you disconnect it too.

I just pulled it out and wrapped insulating tape around the connector and it's been fine since.

[magneto]

Originally Posted by Clan

I'm not talking about town scooter riders , its the big powerful bikes out on the open road ... Its just what i see on a daily basis driving 250 miles a week every week every month every year ..and these are commuter bikes out on the roads at 7 am and 5 pm not pleasure riders ( those type rip up the local coutryside here every sunday, i can hear them 5 miles away as they are much higher up in open spaces and often go through hedges and kill themselves in the Wye Valley ) . only in recent years has this practice been developing , due to lack of police motorway patrols these days . all it takes is a combination of these lane changers and a bike weaver to clash and one bike rider less in the world ... Bike riders THINK they are safe doing this and they certainly can do the weaving in and out fine , but its down to chances and risks .

Personally, I think it's wrong to 'work the lanes' if the cars are doing 70 or above. I fully understand the risk, and wouldn't dream of doing it unless I was 100% focused - if I have something on my mind I ride accordingly, or go home. Bear in mind the moral issue - I'm only likely to hurt myself .
Another factor, perhaps others have found the same - if I 'tootle' along, watching the scenery, not speeding, I feel more likely to get into trouble as I'm not really concentrating, in a car or on a bike. Been riding 43 years by the way and I'm still here! Passed the IAM test, lapped the 'Ring behind 'The Baron' (I know following is so much easier so no claims to fame) and have raced most things with an engine since I was 14, 2,3 & 4 wheels. Done me no harm at all, apart from my neck, hip, wrist, ankle, shoulder, elbow and back problems. Falling off bikes I feel I have mastered, it's just the landings I need to work on....
I know biking doesn't appeal to everyone but it's one of the last truly exhilarating, yet affordable, experiences relatively undiluted by our 'nanny state', although they are trying - hence the proposed test changes and restrictions.
Finally, the current WSB Champion, Ben Spies, displays 'Volvo' on the front of his helmet - if Volvo see fit to sponsor him biking is obviously endorsed by the factory.....
Cheers,
Steve.

[Paul240480]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

Do you mean day-running lights or dim/dip? Earlier cars had day-running lights, ie the extra bright sidelights that came on when the ignition was on.

Later cars had dim/dip - the sidelights stayed on at low power, but the headlights had a kind of low glow setting, which many people find irritating.

You can disable it by pulling out fuse 10 (I think, from memory) but if the fuse also feeds the power windows you need to identify the specific terminal blade and pull that instead.

Okay, getting back to sort of on topic............... My 89 GL has DRL's as in 21/5w bulbs in 'sidelight' position. So on Day Running it has the 21w element on. Switch to 'middle' setting & the 5w element illuminates for parking.

Now over the last few months I've noticed that I've had DRL's 21w along with Headlamps on what appears to be a dim dip mode? LOL Weird but true!
Only happens intermittently tho'.

[Peter D]

There is a mosfet pcontroller for the DIM function located in RHS of the passenger foot well uner the carpet. Remove this and the DIM goes off. Regards Peter

[Clifford Pope]

I thought Dim/dip was a replacement for the old 21/5 watt system. I've had earlier cars that switched to the brighter lamps when driving, but reverted to 5 watt for parking, and later cars that had only single filament "parking" lights (although in fact they stay on all the time) plus headlights that ran in a kind of dimmed blur in daytime driving. But I've never seen both systems on the same car.

[Paul240480]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

I thought Dim/dip was a replacement for the old 21/5 watt system. I've had earlier cars that switched to the brighter lamps when driving, but reverted to 5 watt for parking, and later cars that had only single filament "parking" lights (although in fact they stay on all the time) plus headlights that ran in a kind of dimmed blur in daytime driving. But I've never seen both systems on the same car.

I'm sure your're right Clifford. If you are refering to my 'anomoly' I think mine must be some damp getting in causing a short or something, which makes my H/lamps glow like the later ones. I shall try to get a pic' next time it does it.
Mine defo' has the DRL set up, 21/5w - Day Run & Park mode as you say.

[morsing]

Originally Posted by Paul240480

I'm sure your're right Clifford. If you are refering to my 'anomoly' I think mine must be some damp getting in causing a short or something, which makes my H/lamps glow like the later ones. I shall try to get a pic' next time it does it.
Mine defo' has the DRL set up, 21/5w - Day Run & Park mode as you say.

This is how the '89 is supposed to work. Lights off gives you 21W DRLs, side lights gives you 5W DRLs plus dim head lights. Mine started being intermittent as well and the dimmed head lights would be on or off randomly in both park and off.

It's the rear connecter on fuse 8 you need to pull to get rid of the dim dip.